[News] Sand Creek, releasing the spirits

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Sand Creek, releasing the spirits
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2008/4/8/233644/6371

By 
<http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2008/4/8/233644//user/uid:331>Brenda 
Norrell,
Posted on Tue Apr 8th, 2008 at 11:36:44 PM EST
SAND CREEK, Colo. – The word "massacre" is too 
mild for what happened here to the Cheyenne and 
Arapahoe babies, children, women and men murdered 
here by the Colorado Militia.

Over the weekend, the Longest Walk came here with 
respect to offer prayers for the victims of US genocide.

Marty Chase Alone, Oglala, representing the Red 
Cloud people and a Tiospaye of the Big Road Band, 
led ceremonies at the Sand Creek Massacre site to 
release the spirits and wipe the tears.

Chase Alone's relatives were descendants of White 
Antelope and Yellow Wolf, murdered at Sand Creek. 
Chase Alone said the ceremonies were held to let 
the ancestors know that they could go on now.

Before first light on Saturday, April 5, the 
Longest Walk arrived. Some of the walkers had 
seen the spirit women dancing and clapping during 
the women’s walk toward Sand Creek.

For the Cheyenne Arapahoe on this journey, like 
Calvin Magpie, Jr., from Oklahoma, it was a time 
of profound sorrow, remembering the innumerable 
babies, children, women, men and elderly who were 
shot in cold blood and mutilated.

For others on the Longest Walk, like Jimbo 
Simmons, coordinator of the northern route, the 
assault at Sand Creek was one that has never 
ended, because now the National Park Service 
officials have positioned themselves in control 
and with authority at the site. It is now 
designated an historic site, with implications for tourism and exploitation.

In these killing fields, the Long Walkers walked 
up the hill overlooking the trees where Chief 
Black Kettle’s people camped. The trees are now 
bare and looked much like they would have on 
November 29, 1864, when the Colorado Militia 
carried out the murders of the innocents as the warriors were away from camp.

Soldiers' accounts describe the shooting of young 
children, with repeated gunshots, and how the women were raped and butchered.

Looking out across the massacre site, beyond 
Black Kettle’s camp site in the trees, is a flat 
plain where the people ran, where the bodies of 
the babies, women, children, men and elderly fell 
as the bullets pierced their bodies.

On the hilltop this weekend, the Long Walkers 
formed a circle, with the staff carriers facing 
east. Each Long Walker offered a prayer.

Then, returning to the base of the hill, Long 
Walkers ate breakfast and shared their food with 
the spirits. The walkers reflected on this 
journey of mourning, sorrow and healing.

Rebecca Duncan, Wylacki from Round Valley, 
Calif., remembered the Cheyenne and Arapahoe 
massacred. “It was real hard because the spirits are alive.”

Duncan said two days earlier, she had an idea, to 
gather the women for a women’s walk toward Sand 
Creek. The women all joined her.

“We didn’t even get ten feet, it was like the 
women were clapping their hands and jumping 
around in a circle. The little kids seemed 
happy,” Duncan said of the massacred women and children.

The night before the memorial, a delegation from 
the Long Walk, including Cheyenne Arapahoe Calvin 
Magpie, spent the night at the massacre site. 
They prayed and introduced themselves to the 
spirits, before the other Long Walkers arrived.

Magpie said the healing begins this way, with 
respect, remembrance and prayers.

Gail Ridgely, Northern Arapahoe from Wyoming and 
Sand Creek descendant, visited the Long Walkers 
here. Ridgely said it was an honor to be among 
the Long Walkers and the staffs they carry.

Before the memorial at the place of massacre, the 
Long Walkers watched the documentary, “The Sand 
Creek Massacre,” produced by Don Vasicek. Long 
Walkers viewed the film while camped by a 
reservoir earlier this week, and learned of the 
history of the massacre. Long Walkers said the 
film reveals facts that were not in their history 
books, including the shooting of young children.

Then, on Saturday, April 5, Long Walkers rose at 
3 a.m. and traveled to the massacre site. They 
walked at first light the final half mile up the 
hill, overlooking the massacre site at Sand Creek.

Although the walkers first felt the agony of the 
spirits here, after the ceremmonies led by Chase 
Alone, a feeling of peace and calm prevailed.

During presentations in nearby Eads, Colorado, 
Chase Alone presented the Longest Walk with a 
staff representing Native American prisoners to 
carry to Washington in their struggle to ensure 
the ceremonial rights for inmates. Among those 
Native American religious rights is the right to 
wear long hair, considered sacred, the right to 
obtain enough firewood to carry out sweatlodges 
and the right to maintain sacred items for ceremonies.

Listen to Marty Chase Alone and others --- from Sand Creek at Earthcycles:
<http://www.earthcycles.net/>http://www.earthcycles.net/
More at:
Censored News Homepage
<http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/>http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Longest Walk
<http://www.longestwalk.org/>http://www.longestwalk.org/




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